Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Actually ... I'm running Mailwasher 1.33... coz it was the last free version that allowed you to "bounce" spam mail back to the bastards...

Usually gets you off the pass around email lists pronto...

ive noticed an increase of junk emails..... the idiots must have lost their jobs and now just sending out more junk... its amazing how many junk emails have attachments.. with mailwasher, I can see which emails have the attachments....

I really like the ones that have nothing but jiberish in the body.... like im going to open up something like that..

jT

I tried windows defender a few years back and I really crapped up my computer but it was pretty new back then.

Back when I used dial up for my computer connections, I never used any sort of computer protection. No firewall, no virus protection, no spyware protection, nothing. Was never an issue going in through dial up unless you downloaded something dangerous (if you didn't use Outlook this wasn't a problem.)

As soon as I got hooked up on DSL for the first time, attack attempts were almost instant.

Much of protecting your self is of course avoiding software and sights that invite invasion. Don't download things unless you know what they are and you went to get them instead of being told by an unknown to go try it.

Next, you can close off ports that could allow a back door into your computer. (Windows usually comes with many ports defaulted open when that is really pretty dangerous, only leave them open if you actually use the service that requires them open.) There are web sites out there you can use to scan your computer to see how stealthy you are. Here is one that I have used in the past http://www.grc.com/default.htm Granted, what it is gonna see might have more to do with your router, IP service, or a connection further up the line from your computer but it can help access how easy it is for a roaming bot or hacker to attack your computer on the connection you are using. About half way down the page under Hot Spots is their Shields Up service. It can scan to check for open ports and other things that can invite hackers.

I personally hate most security software but it seems to be a necessary evil in our world now.
Good Luck to all.

I have used shields up before... just checked all my ports.. all closed... in stealth mode...

yeah...

jT

Windows is a dog. My linux box has run for 6 years now, and the only thing that goes wrong is the PSU's a bit flaky now, and it doesn't always boot (bad thing, cos it's my server and router) but it's great.

Windows on the other hand will go to crap no matter what you do to it (unless you install it once, lock it down and use it as a server, with no new installs)

So I always partition my drives, C: is windows, d: is everything else useful.
c: gets formatted every 6 - 8 months.

I use AVG. Very good. Used to use Norton but rubbish. C-net tech says Norton lets the virus in and then spots it. Is true.. Found out to my cost. AVG is free and works superbly. Used to use Avast and had no probs with it either. Neat programme and also free.

I'm running a 2002 version of XP pro with service pack 2 and it doesn't even recognize a HD over 237 gigs so I have to partition anyway. I may try that KP. Original was 80 gig and I never ever used all of that, so basicly the other half is doing nothing anyway. I don't mind paying for a secure antivirus software but the 2008 norton really wasn't cheap and wasn't as user friendly as the 06 version of internet security and it didn't gobble up as much ram. I guess I shouldn't complain, I went a year this time. I just have a hard time believing Freeware will keep me secure. I noticed when I didn't load stuff like MS money or turbo tax, I am not bothered as much. I think setting up accounts with Ebay and Paypal made me more of a target. I've got to reimage for my own peace of mind.

I divide the HD in C: D: E:
C: for windows
D: for data
E: for a ghost image of the original install. Also keep a copy on an external HD.

Once a year I format C: and put the ghost image back on and patch it. Then save a new image. Takes 30min to put the image back on and patch it up to date. Better than re-installing everything from scratch.

how does that Ghost image thing work?

Get your system were you want it. Programs installed and patched, internet hooked up and working and everything set up how you want. Then run Ghost and it makes a copy of your system. Now a month later or a year later you can put the image back over the top and be back at that point. Same thing if your HD crashes. Drop in a new HD and throw the image back on and your back in action. Takes about 15min to load the image file onto a HD depending on the size of the image. Beats the hell out of installing windows and all your programs again. I have a few programs that I like to be on the image because they need activating and ringing for numbers etc. I only have to do that once.
At the place I used to work we would install a system and software on one PC and ghost it to all the other computers to save time.

I like DriveImage XML to image my hard drive. I've even had to restore a drive from an image. Only issue is you can't really restore the image onto a drive that is running a system, I needed to pull the drive out of the computer and put it into a housing to hook to another computer so I could copy the image from the backup drive onto the drive in the housing then put back into the computer and there it is. DriveImage XML is free and you can run it right from within windows without having to boot the computer using some other method in order to do the backup. I like that, it makes it more likely that I will use it.

Too true, yet I'm too lazy to make things easier for myself... How's that for a contradiction!
Everytime I get to the point of reinstall, I say I'll ghost it... however once reinstalled, I just start using it.

I have for the first time in ages bought brand name pcs... lenovo. They came with Vista...
So I reinstalled with XP - much of the hardware does not have adequate drivers
It took me days to set up properly
this time i SWEAR I'll ghost it next reinstall... it's simply too much effort. so much effort that I'm reticent to maintain it, and it's already months past my usual format

Planning pays many dividends in the future. Procrastination pays off now

I had a similar reaction to Vista.

It took me a lot of installs before I got into the practice of ghosting.

I wiped my 2 drives and the newer Maxtor drive came with a cd that will copies everything from the boot drive and made a boot drive out of the other which I unpluged to save for when this one gets corrupeted again. I should have waited until I completely reloaded the first one but anyway its nice to search for stuff without search engines poping up and offering stuff!